Detachments from across East Region of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) continue to remind individuals to be aware of ongoing frauds and scams. Take the time to conduct research, ask questions and take a minute before sending gift cards or money.
On November 5, the Upper Ottawa Valley OPP Detachment received a report from an individual in the Pembroke area who had been targeted by the emergency scam.
The victim received a call advising that her daughter had been involved with police and was in custody. The scammer was attempting to make arrangement for the release of their daughter and $9,000 needed to be sent immediately to facilitate the court process. The scammer identified himself as a police officer.
The victim then spoke to someone on the phone who was crying, claiming to be their daughter, who requested this be kept secretive as to avoid further trouble.
The victim did not transfer the money and contacted several family members to get assistance with this suspicious call. Subsequently, the victim contacted their daughter and confirmed she had not been involved in any such incident.
As a reminder, here are some red flags to identify frauds and scams:
– Often times, there will be a request not to tell anyone, to keep it a secret to avoid further trouble
– Request for gift cards or cryptocurrency
– Urgent request for action or information
– Request for banking information
– Unsolicited attempts at selling products or services
